Morality no ground to resign: Soren

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Thursday, November 27, 2008

Emerging out of the meeting of the State working committee of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), JMM chief Shibu Soren on Wednesday declined to seek resignation of two ministers of the State Cabinet — Ainosh Ekka and Harinarayan Rai — against whom two days back a special vigilance court directed to file cases in connection with disproportionate properties.

When asked whether or not he (Soren) would seek resignation of the ministers on morality ground and also to ensure an impartial inquiry into their disproportionate properties, Soren shielded his ministers by saying he would not take any decision unless he goes through the documents.

"Morality cannot be a ground for tendering or asking resignation…morality has no place in the politics. I will not recommend any CBI inquiry against them," Soren thus clarified his stand while answering to some of the pointed question. But he refused to react about other ministers who were facing similar charges in the court by calling it sub-judice.

Opening a front against the Left Front Government in West Bengal for committing atrocities against tribals and the original inhabitants, the working committee decided to hold a protest rally at Shahid Minar in Kolkata on January 20. It also decided to submit a memorandum against the West Bengal Government.

He reacted over the remarks of his West Bengal counterpart Budhadeo Bhattacharya, who alleged the tribals affiliated with the JMM in the West Bengal had association with the Maoist groups and they wanted to create terror in the State.

Shibu said: "As the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, I dismiss this allegation as baseless, even an autocratic setup cannot speak and behave in the manner chosen by him against the people." He said the JMM was always against using such methods. Referring to the political resolution passed in this respect, he termed the West Bengal Government synonymous to gundaraj (the rule of goons) and asserted that the party would expand its base in the West Bengal. It would begin with the meeting of the working committee meeting of the JMM on December 20 at Purulia.

Coming out with a decision to expand its political bandwidth in the south India, the JMM decided to fight election in Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Kerla, and Tamil Nadu. It is also mulling for the same in Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. The party would hold campaign to highlight the developmental works done by the party from the next Monday. Besides it, the party would constitute the booth committees in view of the next general elections.